Z Grating Method

Tony(Zone 5. Omaha, Nebraska)March 23, 2014

Bass is showing a Z graft method. I guess this method you can use smaller scionwood with larger rootstock or the same diameter rootstock. I will do couple grafts this way and compare it to W&T and Bark graft.

That seems way too complicated to me. A splice graft using electric tape (rubber electric tape if you don't want to have to cut it later) probably works as well and takes a third of the time and smaller fraction of the skill. Fewer finger cuts while you are learning too!

If you don't have same sized diameter scion wood you can match it up on one side and it generally works fine.

I've been grafting for quite a few years (20+?) as an amateur. I have some weakness as a 'grafter' in that there's a few areas I've never mastered success (I have never successfully budded (any style)). But I have 'dormant' grafted apple, pear (European and Asian), cherry, apricot, plum, persimmon, and pawpaw.

I usually have a high percentage of takes. My 'default' style of grafting is whip & tongue. I have never had very good luck with the 'matching one side' option for the scionwood. If the difference is more than miniscule, the percentage of takes (for me) is dismal. Bass showed me the z-graft a few years ago, and I'm a big fan when my scionwood. is small. I feel it takes almost as well as w&t, it holds itself together while being wrapped (unlike splice). It does leave two wounds that the top and bottom of the graft that take longer to heal than w&t, but I still think it's excellent. I also like bark grafting for certain applications (one of the better ones (imho) for persimmon grafting). z-grafting has the advantage of a bigger time window in which to do it during the dormant phase than bark (as the rootstock must be slipping and growing for the bark grafting to work)..

I used this grafting technique for the first time on a few field grafts and some bench grafts this past spring. Useful for joining smaller diameter scions with larger stock, no need to split the trunk as with cleft, and seems to make a much stronger connection than rind graft. Now some of the plums I did are pushing 3' of growth! Thanks for posting the tutorial.

I've watched the video several times and I'm trying to figure out if the top part of the z is for stability or also for cambium connection. (about 1:10 in the video) It doesn't look like a good connection to me, but maybe with tight tape it will work.

I too have had near zero take with bud grafting. I'd like to give this a try. With what wood is the best to practice on, and is this done only when dormant?

Milehigh-
The upper tab of the scion that goes across the stock stub will unite with the cambium on the far side of the stub, and help anchor the scion as it grows while also speeding the healing of exposed inner wood of the stub. It doesn't look like much when the graft is performed, but afterward that strip swells up and expands. I used parafilm over all of the graft union areas. I did a couple grafts with extra scionwood before I tried one on actual rootstock. As for bud grafting, we are nearing the season of when that is usually done- August around here(Maine)using this year's wood and going for the dormant (next year's)buds found mid-shoot.